Mumbai Indians had a decent IPL 2023 having qualified for the playoffs after finishing fourth on the points table. They won their Eliminator clash but then lost the second qualifier in a season that was an improvement upon their last two when they exited in the league stage itself.
The five-time IPL champions will be hungry to add to their trophy collection this time around under a new captain in Hardik Pandya.
Catch all the latest updates of the IPL 2024 auction here with our special page for the top 10 most expensive buys at the IPL 2024 Auction. Follow our comprehensive coverage for real-time updates of the hottest bidding wars on our IPL 2024 Auction Live Blog.
Available Slots: 8
Overseas Slots: 4
Salary Cap: Rs 17.75 crore
Released Players: Chris Jordan, Duan Jansen, Hrithik Shokeen, Jhye Richardson, Jofra Archer, Mohd. Arshad Khan, Raghav Goyal, Ramandeep Singh, Riley Meredith, Sandeep Warrier, Tristan Stubbs
Also Read: Pandya Appointed Mumbai Indians Captain for IPL 2024
Here are five players MI could target at the auction
Gerald Coetzee
Coetzee is expected to start a bidding war among the franchises in hunt for a reliable wicket-taking fast bowler. In the recent ODI World Cup, the right-arm pacer left quite an impression with 20 wickets from just 8 matches. He can rush batters with short stuff, is mentally strong and working on adding more variety to his bowling. What adds to Coetzee’s value is his ability with the bat. Having released Jofra Archer, MI could certainly benefit with someone of the South African’s skillset.
Pat Cummins
Man of the moment. Cummins skipped IPL 2023 to focus on international assignments and guided Australia to two world titles in the space of five months. The manner in which he stunned the Indian fans during the World Cup final with the wicket of Virat Kohli is something which will become part of cricket folklore. A skilful fast bowler with the demeanour of a monk. And the fact that he has struck the second-fastest fifty in IPL history adds to his charm. And then his leadership skills. What’s not to like?
Mitchell Starc
A combination of prioritising international career and fitness concerns has kept Starc away from IPL for a long time. However, the left-arm pacer put up his name up for auction. He has 34 wickets from 27 IPL matches at 20.38. Should MI make a successful bid for the Aussie star, they would have created a dream-opening pace combo of Jasprit Bumrah and Starc. However, their purse could limit them here as well since plenty of franchises will be in the race to land his services.
Also Read: Five Players Rajasthan Royals Would Look to Buy
Wanindu Hasaranga
MI have been quite thin in their spin department. Piyush Chawla did an admirable job last season but they don’t have a quality bowler to team up with him. With Wanindu Hasaranga back in the auction pool, MI will be hoping to sign him up to shore up their spin attack. The leg-spinner has 216 wickets from 157 T20s and has an economy of 6.81. He provides a good option with the bat too having struck 1760 runs in 121 innings at a strike-rate of 143.08.
Ravi Teja
The uncapped fast-bowling allrounder was the leading wicket-taker of the Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2023. Teja took 19 wickets from seven matches at an average of 10.10. Considering the limited purse MI have at their disposal, they may go for the Hyderabad cricketer.
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